The present invention is related to systems and methods for location vehicles. More particulary, the present invention is related to systems and methods for location of vehicles which have been disabled in response to the failure of a user to enter a code that corresponds with a stored code in the vehicle or in response to a detected tampering with the system.
Typically, monthly payments to utility companies are made with very high reliability. This is partly due to the threat of service cut-off. For example, failure to pay a telephone bill will result in loss of telephone services. Thus, telephone bills are paid regularly because failure to do so has immediate and tangible results. Monthly payments on an automobile loan, for example, are not likely to be paid as regularly. Although an automobile may be repossessed, the process is expensive and complex. Thus, the threat of repossession is less immediate than telephone service cut-off. To encourage reliable loan re-payments, it is desirable to have a xe2x80x9cservicexe2x80x9d cut-off for equipment subject to the loan, such as an automobile.
Conventional systems to encourage reliable loan re-payments interrupt the ignition system of an automobile on a regular, timed interval. To re-enable the automobile, a user is required to return to a payment center, make a payment, and have an agent reset the interrupt mechanism for a renewed timed interval. The system can only be reset by an authorized agent as it requires a key held in escrow at the payment center. While such a system is effective in encouraging users to repay their loans in a timely fashion, it has extreme overhead considerations. For example, the system requires a user to travel to the payment center each payment period of the loan in order to re-enable the automobile. In addition, a user must arrive at the payment center during its customer service hours. Still further, a user may have to wait to receive the attention of the first available agent at the payment center.
One solution to these problems is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/371,697, entitled xe2x80x9cLoan Repay Enforcement Systemxe2x80x9d filed on Aug. 10, 1999 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/397,132, entitled xe2x80x9cTime Based Disablement of Equipmentxe2x80x9d filed on Sep. 16, 1999, both of which are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference. These applications describe systems and methods for disabling of equipment if a payment is not timely made. Specifically, a control module associated with the equipment stores a plurality of codes. In order to prevent disablement of the equipment, a code which corresponds to one of the stored plurality of codes must be entered prior to the expiration of a payment period. In order to receive a code, timely payment must be received and logged in a payment center.
When payment for the vehicle has not been made, and in turn, a predetermined time has passed without a code being entered into the control module, the vehicle will become disabled. Further, if the vehicle is equipped with a tamper detecting device and the control module is tampered with, the vehicle will become disabled. Although a disabled vehicle prevents the delinquent payor from operating the vehicle, the lender needs to be able to retrieve the vehicle in order to attempt to recuperate the loss. To be able to recover the vehicle the lender needs to know the location of the vehicle. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide location information regarding a disabled vehicle.
The above-identified and other deficiencies of prior methods and systems are overcome by the location system of the present invention. In accordance with the present invention, vehicle location system operates to provide a location of a vehicle if a payment due date associated with the vehicle has passed and a payment has not been received for the vehicle. The vehicle location system operates to provide the vehicle""s location to a service agency. The service agency can then locate and repossess the vehicle. The service agency can be a lender or other party having a security interest in the vehicle. Alternatively, the service agency can have a contract with a party who has an interest in the vehicle to locate and repossess vehicles for which payments are delinquent. Additionally, the vehicle location system can be activated if it is detected that the vehicle is being tampered with. The location of the vehicle can be determined using global positioning satellites or by triangulation using base stations in mobile radio systems.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle disablement device installed in a vehicle determines whether a certain date has passed. If the certain date has passed the vehicle disablement device determines whether a code associated with the date has been previously entered into the vehicle disablement device. If a code associated with the date has not been previously entered then the vehicle disablement device activates a location system and provides a location of the vehicle to a service agency. The service agency can then recover the vehicle. Further, if it is detected that the vehicle disablement device has been tampered with, the vehicle disablement device, or a tamper detection device, can activate the location system and provide the location of the vehicle to the service agency. By locally activating the location system, the burden of monitoring payments for a vehicle by a service agency can be reduced. Further, the cost of the location system is reduced since the location system does not require a receiver to receive information, but instead only requires a transmitter to provide the vehicle location to the service agency.